sutty68 wrote:
The pictures certainly look a lot better
And Velits now in second place, can he go that one place further
I'm really happy with the graphics improvement. Glad that one of my followers does too!
Well Moreno isn't the best at TT, and Velits holds a nice 19" lead over Contador, so could easily take leaders jersey. Only worry would be Coppel at 4" back...
11km: Second checkpoint, and I was still feeling good. Just 8km left, and I was just 4" behind the quickest rider Rui Costa (Movistar)
19km: Crossing the line, I had nothing left. The slight climb a couple km from the end really took it out of me. I finished 41" behind Costa.
19km: With my ride over, all team focus was on Peter. Starting 27" down on Moreno, and just 4" ahead of Coppel, it was going to be tight race. Sadly Peter wasn't feeling good after his effort yesterday, coming across the line 45" slower than the stage winner Coppel, losing time to all the GC rivals, ending the day in 5th overall. He was clearly disappointed, but looking back 5th on GC is a great result!
20th February 2011 - Tour of Oman Stage 6
(Qurayyat - Mattrah Seafront)
The final stage looks like a nice one to finish on! After the early climbing, its going to be a fast finish to the race. However, a closer look at the finishing circuit shows a slight rise in the last 1km, which could prove decisive.
Race Report
4km: It was an attack from 4 riders early in the stage that got the race going! One of them surprised everyone, as it came from Peter! He had one aim for the stage. Get over the climb first, and gain maximum points in the KoM classification! And that's what he did!
13km: With that task out of the way, Peter sat up and joined back up with the peleton. A further 6 groups of riders went off the front, forming a big break of 17 out in the lead.
36km: Surprisingly, it was UnitedHealthcare who took control of the peleton. They had hardly featured in the race so far, but it was good to have them doing some pace setting.
121km: The break got around 5'03" gap on the peleton, before we stepped up the pace, along with Movistar, and as we started the second circuit around the Mattrah Seafront, they were caught.
129km: With everything back together and the pace settling down, it was time for more attacks. Yet again Flecha made a move, taking with him Nick Nuyens (SaxoBank) and two other riders.
146km: But they didn't get much time on the main group, and with Marco and Peter working hard on the front, they were brought back with 11km to go!
155km: The lead-out was perfect! First Marco, then Bert and finally Lars hit the front hard, putting Renshaw and I in the perfect spot!
157km: BOOM!! Victory Number 2! I finish off the fine work from the HTC guys, taking home my second victory here in Oman!
Cavendish pulls out of training ride through illness
It has been reported that HTC - Highroad's Mark Cavendish had to cut short a team training ride today, with a HTC spokesperson stating it was due to the rider suffering from illness.
There was no official comment Mark to cyclingnews.com, however he did post a tweet on his twitter account saying 'Thanks for the concerned tweets, but it is nothing more than a cold!', closely followed by 'I should be back on the bike again in a few days ready for K-B-K!'
Edited by the_hoyle on 28-09-2012 16:32
ProCycling magazine are going to be running a Q&A session with Mark as part of a Milano - San Remo cover feature in their March issue, and they are wanting some questions from the followers.
So if you have any questions, you can pm them to me, with the subject of 'Question for Cav', and they will be put to Mark to answer.
Back on European soil, and I head to my first Cobbled Classics of the Season, Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne.
I am heading here with victory in mind, but following my recent illness, I may be working for Matt Goss if it is a bunch sprint finish.
We head to the race with a bunch sprint and victory in mind. Along with Goss and I, we come with a lead-out train made up of Mark Renshaw, Bernie Eisel, Bert Grabsch and Frantisek Rabon. Bernie might also be given more of a free role, depending on how the race progresses.
Lars Bak will lead the team on the road, and will look for the lone victory if the situation arises. The squad is completed by neo-pro Caleb Fairly, who will be working as a domestique.
The word of the day for today... Cobbles, cobbles and more cobbles! First race of the season on European soil, and a stern test ahead. Hoping for an easy day out on the route, with a bunch sprint at the end! My only concerns are; 1. my fitness after my illness and a few days off the bike, and 2. the weather! Hoping it will stay dry!
Race Report
22km: After a few big attacks, it was a group of 4 that managed to get away on the first section of cobbles.
27km: With Jelle Vanendert in the breakaway, OmegaPharma were reluctant to work on the front, leaving the responsibility to Rabobank.
83km: Reaching the halfway mark, the rain began to fall. Nervousness soon spend through the peleton, as news of falls came over Race Radio.
92km: CRASH! On the wet cobbles, down I go! Luckily I don't bring anyone else down with me. The road bottle-necked, and I misjudged the room around me. I was feeling sore as I got up, but nothing broken!
104km: With the peleton not going at full tilt and thanks to the end of Bernie, I was able to make it back to the front of the main group, taking more care as we went over the next section of cobbles!
124km: And thank god I was positioned back at the front. Over the last section of cobbles, the peleton splintered, with only around 60 riders being left at the front.
127km: With 30km to go, there were 3 riders out in front, and wow they were some big names! Greg Van Avermart (BMC), Stijn Devolver (Vacancsoleil) and Roger Hammond (Garmin) held a 3'12" as we hit the outskirts of Kuurne, and on slippery, twisty roads, they held all the cards!
172km: 5km to go, and the break was in sight! Further attacks, from most notably Thor Hushovd (Garmin) and Geraint Thomas (Sky), tried to get away in the closing km, but we stayed calm drilling hard on the front.
176km: As the sprint began, Gossy hit the front, and I just couldn't stay with him. The after effects of the crash, combined with the recovery from illness, meant I could give any more in my sprint.
177km: But the breakaway held on! Hammond has a great turn of speed in the sprint, coming off the wheel of Van Avermart to take the win!
177km: In the sprint for 4th, Gossy did brilliantly, as he just edges out Boonen on the line. I crossed the line a very respectable 7th place, and instantly headed off to the race medics to be checked over!
19th February 2011 - Tour of Oman Stage 5 ITT 
27th February 2011 - Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne 
